Strut clamp

Abstract

A clamp for a construction strut that allows a pipe to be clamped to the construction strut in which the clamp has a fastener that is not exposed above the clamp curvature and in which the fastener head is easily accessible. Also the clamp has a retaining tab and a neck portion such that it can be installed either on the open side of the construction strut or on the closed side using slots in the closed side by straight-in passing the retaining tab past the inturned flanges on the top of the construction strut.

1. A strut clamp for attaching a pipe or conduit or similar circular item to a standard construction strut of the type having a top side with a longitudinal space having a width dimension defined by spaced apart inturned flanges;
 a metal strip having a first end and a second end, near the first end having a neck portion that has a width that is less than the width dimension of the longitudinal space of the standard construction strut and a retaining tab below the neck portion, the retaining tab having a width that is less than the width dimension of the longitudinal space of the standard construction strut whereby the retaining tab can be attached by straight-in insertion of the retaining tab past the inturned flanges of the construction strut, the retaining tab having a first and second side each extending outwardly on opposite sides of the neck portion, and the first side having an upward facing edge and the second side having an upward extending hook the upward facing edge and the top of the hook being aligned perpendicular to the metal strip and the metal strip near the second end being adapted for passing a fastener through it and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second ends having a curvature portion; 
 whereby the strut clamp can be attached to the construction strut at its top side, at the first end by the hook on the second side of the retaining tab engaging under an inturned flange of the construction strut; and the curvature of the intermediate portion of the strut clamp defining an opening such that a pipe or conduit or similar circular item may pass across the strut and be captured by the opening; 
 further, for attaching to a standard construction strut having a bottom side that has longitudinally spaced apart slots, the slots having a width dimension and a length dimension, the width of the retaining tab being less than the length dimension of the slot and the width dimension of the retaining tab being greater than the width dimension of the slot; 
 the width of the neck portion being less than the width dimension of the slot; 
 whereby the strut clamp can also be used to clamp a pipe or conduit or similar circular item to the bottom side of the standard construction strut by passing the retaining tab through the slot and turning it so that the hook and the upward facing edge each engage the bottom of the standard construction strut; 
 the second end having a bend across its width to define a flat area in which a hole is positioned and the curvature portion extending lengthwise from the bend to a straight portion that ends at the neck portion; 
 a nut having opposite ends each of the ends being formed as a pair of outwardly extending spaced apart hooks each hook having an upward facing curved element and a central portion extending from the pairs of hooks and having a threaded hole substantially midway of the central portion such that when placed inside the construction strut the hooks of the nut can engage the inturned flanges; and 
 whereby a fastener placed through the hole and threaded to the threaded hole of the nut enables the clamp to be tightened or loosened. 
 
     
     
       2. The strut clamp of  claim 1  wherein the nut is formed as a channel in which the central portion has sides extending downwardly from a face surface and the pairs of spaced apart hooks are formed as ends of the sides extending beyond the face surface. 
     
     
       3. The strut clamp of  claim 1  wherein each of the pairs of spaced apart hooks extend symmetrically convergently beyond the face surface. 
     
     
       4. The strut clamp of  claim 1  wherein the width of the retaining tab does not exceed about 13/16 inch. 
     
     
       5. The strut clamp of  claim 1  wherein the width of the neck portion does not exceed about ½ inch. 
     
     
       6. The strut clamp of  claim 1  wherein the second side of the retaining tab extends beyond the neck portion more than the first side of the retaining tab. 
     
     
       7. The strut clamp of  claim 6  wherein the second side of the retaining tab extends outwardly beyond the neck portion by not less than about 3/16 inch. 
     
     
       8. The strut clamp of  claim 1  wherein the curvature portion has a maximum curvature point and the flat area is below the maximum curvature point. 
     
     
       9. The strut clamp of  claim 8  wherein the flat area is at least about ¼ inch below the maximum curvature point. 
     
     
       10. A strut clamp and construction strut assembly comprising;
 a construction strut of the type having a bottom and spaced apart parallel extending sides terminating in spaced apart inturned flanges defining a top side having a longitudinal opening with a width dimension defined by the spaced apart inturned flanges; and 
 a strut clamp comprising;
 a metal strip having a first end and a second end, near the first end having a neck portion that has a width that is less than the width dimension of the longitudinal opening of the top side of the construction strut and a retaining tab below the neck portion, the retaining tab having a width that is less than the width dimension of the longitudinal space of the construction strut whereby the retaining tab can be attached by straight-in insertion of the retaining tab past the inturned flanges of the construction strut, the retaining tab having a first and second side each extending outwardly on opposite sides of the neck portion, and the first side having an upward facing edge and the second side having an upward extending hook the upward facing edge and the top of the hook being aligned perpendicular to the metal strip and the metal strip near the second end being adapted for passing a fastener through it and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second ends having a curvature portion; 
 
 whereby the strut clamp can be attached to the construction strut at its top side, at the first end by the hook on the second side of the retaining tab engaging under an inturned flange of the construction strut; and the curvature of the intermediate portion of the strut clamp defining an opening such that a pipe or conduit or similar circular item may pass across the strut and be captured by the opening; 
 further wherein the construction strut has a bottom side that has longitudinally spaced apart slots, the slots having a width dimension and a length dimension, the width of the retaining tab being less than the length dimension of the slots and the width dimension of the retaining tab being greater than the width dimension of the slots; 
 the width of the neck portion being less than the width dimension of the slot; 
 whereby the strut clamp may be assembled to the bottom side of the construction strut or to the top side of the construction strut thereby allowing clamping of a pipe or conduit or similar item to the construction strut either across the top side or the bottom side of the construction strut; 
 the second end of the metal strip having a bend across its width to define a flat area in which a hole is positioned and the intermediate portion having a curvature extending lengthwise from the bend to a straight portion that ends at the neck portion; 
 a nut having opposite ends each of the ends being formed as a pair of outwardly extending spaced apart hooks each hook having an upward facing curved element and a central portion extending from the pairs of hooks and having a threaded hole substantially midway of the central portion the distance between the hooks being such that the hooks will engage the inturned flanges of the construction strut when the nut is placed under them; 
 whereby a fastener placed through the hole and threaded to the threaded hole of the nut enables the clamp to be tightened or loosened. 
 
     
     
       11. The assembly of  claim 10  wherein the nut is formed as a channel in which the central portion has sides extending downwardly from a face surface and the pairs of spaced apart hooks are formed as the ends of the sides extending beyond the face surface. 
     
     
       12. The assembly of  claim 11  wherein each of the pairs of spaced apart hooks extend substantially symmetrically convergently beyond the face surface. 
     
     
       13. The assembly of  claim 10  wherein the width of the retaining tab does not exceed about 13/16 inch. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of  claim 10  wherein the second side of the retaining tab extends beyond the neck portion more than the first side of the retaining tab. 
     
     
       15. The assembly of  claim 10  wherein the width of the neck portion does not exceed about ½ inch. 
     
     
       16. The assembly of  claim 15  wherein the second side of the retaining tab extends outwardly beyond the neck portion by not less than about 3/16 inch. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of  claim 10  further comprising a pipe or conduit or similar item having a selected diameter and the curvature has a diameter to engage around it. 
     
     
       18. The assembly of  claim 10  wherein the curvature portion has a maximum curvature point and the flat area is below the maximum curvature point. 
     
     
       19. The assembly of  claim 18  wherein the flat area is at least about ¼ inch below the maximum curvature point. 
     
     
       20. The assembly of  claim 10  wherein the strip has opposite sides defining a width of the strip and the neck portion is formed by a narrowing of the width of the strip on each of the opposite sides. 
     
     
       21. A clamp for clamping a pipe to a construction strut, of the type having a strip that extends around a pipe or conduit or similar circular member, having a first end engaged to the construction strut and a second end held by a bolt or screw attached to a nut that is engaged to the construction strut having inturned flanges, the improvement comprising;
 the first end terminating in a retaining tab that has a width selected to pass directly by the inturned flanges of a construction strut by straight-in insertion and the retaining tab being defined by a first side and a second side and the first side having an upward facing edge and the second side having an upward extending hook that can engage under an adjacent inturned flange of a construction strut the upward facing edge and the top of the hook being aligned perpendicular to the strip and the strip near the second end being adapted for passing a fastener through it and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second ends having a curvature portion; 
 the nut being directly engaged to the construction strut to hold the second end in place; 
 whereby the clamp can be attached to the construction strut at its top side, at the first end by the hook on the second side of the retaining tab engaging under an inturned flange of the construction strut; and the curvature of the intermediate portion of the strut clamp defining an opening such that a pipe or conduit or similar circular item may pass across the strut and be captured by the opening. 
 
     
     
       22. A strut clamp and construction strut assembly comprising;
 a construction strut of the type having a bottom side that has longitudinally spaced apart slots the slots having a width dimension and a length dimension and spaced apart parallel extending sides terminating in spaced apart inturned flanges defining a top side having a longitudinal opening with a width dimension defined by the spaced apart inturned flanges; and 
 a strut clamp comprising;
 a metal strip having a first end and a second end; 
 near the first end having a neck portion that has a width that is less than the width dimension of the longitudinal opening of the top side of the construction strut and is greater than the width dimension of the slots; and 
 a retaining tab below the neck portion, the retaining tab having a first and second side each extending outwardly on opposite sides of the neck portion, and the first side having an upward facing edge and the second side having an upward extending hook the upward facing edge and the top of the hook being aligned perpendicular to the metal strip and the second side of the retaining tab extending beyond the neck portion more than the first side of the retaining tab and the retaining tab having a width that is less than the width dimension of the longitudinal opening of the top side of the construction strut and the retaining tab having a width that is less than the length dimension of the slot the width of the neck portion being less than the width dimension of the slot; 
 the metal strip near the second end having a hole for passing a fastener through it and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second ends having a curvature portion; and 
 a nut having opposite ends each of the ends being formed as a pair of outwardly extending spaced apart hooks each hook having an upward facing curved element and a central portion extending from the pairs of hooks and having a threaded hole substantially midway of the central portion the distance between the hooks being such that the hooks will engage the inturned flanges of the construction strut when the nut is placed under them and the nut being able to also be installed inside the strut to bear against the bottom side of the strut; the fastener being placed through the hole and threaded to the threaded hole of the nut; 
 
 whereby the strut clamp can be attached to the construction strut at its top side, at the first end by straight-in insertion of the retaining tab past the inturned flanges of the construction strut and by the hook on the second side of the retaining tab engaging under an inturned flange of the construction strut and can be attached to the construction strut at its bottom side by passing the retaining tab longitudinally oriented through a slot and rotating the clamp so that the retaining tab is across the width of the slot and the neck is within the width of the slot; and 
 the curvature of the intermediate portion of the strut clamp defining an opening such that a pipe or conduit or similar circular item may pass across the strut and be captured by the opening thereby allowing clamping of a pipe or conduit or similar item to the construction strut either across the top side or the bottom side of the construction strut by tightening the fastener to the nut.